UNCTAD Convening Expert Meeting on "Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation"

The UNCTAD secretariat is convening an Ad Hoc Expert Meeting on "Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A Challenge for Global Ports", to be held in Geneva on 29-30 September 2011. Following earlier related activities (see www.unctad.org/ttl/legal, under "Meetings"), the two-day meeting aims to provide a platform for expert discussions on how best to improve the understanding of climate change impacts on ports and develop effective and appropriate adaptation response measures.

The meeting aims to bring together a wide range of interested parties from the public and private sectors, including policy makers and planning authorities, port industry representatives and operators, port users, relevant international organizations, as well as scientists and engineers, to share their insights and discuss relevant issues with a view to identifying (i) vulnerabilities and risks; (ii) associated adaptation requirements; (iii) existing best practices, information and data sources; (iv) issues requiring further study, including data requirements; and (v) partners and mechanisms for effective collaboration. Further information is available on the meetings webpage, where all documentation related to the meeting will be posted in due course: www.unctad.org/Templates/meeting.asp?intItemID=1942&lang=1&m=21884&info=highlights

While the programme is still being finalized, confirmed speakers include the following:

Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research (PIK)

Mr. Susumu Naruse, Secretary-General, IAPH

Mr Simon Bennett, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)

Mr. Philippe Crist, ITF Research Centre, ITF/OECD

Mr. Vladimir Stenek, International Finance Corporation (IFC) World Bank

Mr. Mike Savonis, ICF International / Gulf Coast Study, US DOT

Prof. Miguel Esteban, Waseda University, Tokyo

Prof. Robert Nicholls, University of Southampton

Mr. Austin Becker, Stanford University

Prof. von Lieberman, Hamburg Port Authority

Mr. Andrew Mather, Ethekwini Municipality (Port of Durban, South Africa)

Mrs. Ng Lan, Director Ministry of Environment, Mauritius

Dr. Leonard Nurse, UWI, Barbados

Dr. Adolf NG, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr. Laurent Cretegny, Institute for Economic Modelling, Lausanne/ Economics of Climate Change Study, World Bank

Participation at the meeting is open to experts from government, industry, academia, nominated by member states, as well as IGOs and UNCTAD accredited NGOs. Other individuals and entities with interest and expertise in areas relevant to the topic of the meeting are strongly encouraged to participate in this important event but will require a special invitation from the secretariat to be able to register. Expressions of interest in participating should be addressed to Ms Jennifer Lavelle (Jennifer.Lavelle@unctad.org).